The Zoo

The zoo was pretty great! I saw lots of turtles and tortoises and monkeys of all kinds!! I also saw a few tigers and elephants. It is very hot and humid here, but it was cool to see all the animals.






Just thought I would put a few up for the girls to see.

A singing bird for the girls...

So I'm still in Singapore and I told the girls I would post some more pictures and also one of a singing bird I saw. I went to the Bird Aviary and it was so cool!!! The birds were incredible and so were all the flowers. I have never seen flowers like these before. So I took LOTS of pictures of them and some of the birds, too. I also got to go to a couple of the bird shows and at one they had a talking parrot and it sang some songs. So I posted the one of it singing happy birthday. I hope it works. Enjoy it girls.

This bird walked right by me.

SINGAPORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we are in Singapore!!! I am very excited for this trip and so far what a trip it has been!! It took us about 24 hours to get here. I am not looking forward to the plane ride home. I was ready to cry by the time we got here. I was so sick of sitting and the noise of the jets and the airplane food!!!! Ugh!!! But we made it and I am having so much fun!!! I am putting up a few pictures we took at the new Universal Studios Singapore we went to this weekend. It was the soft opening so they had lots of fun stuff going on, but not all the rides were up and running yet, which totally bummed me out!! I really wanted to ride the two huge roller coasters, but they weren't going. So instead we went on everything else they would let us on and all the shows. It was a long day and my feet hurt so much at the end but it was fun!!!!!



These characters from the "Revenge of the Mummy" ride were out front just a we came out so Doug and I got to have our pictures taken with them. It was the best ride!!! We went on it 4 times and each time we ran (and I mean ran) right up to the front!!! It was great, NO LINE!!!!! I would have gone on it more but the others I were with were getting a little motion sick from it. So we stopped.


Here is the Sherek castle. I took this picture just for Clara, she loves all things princess!!!


Here are the guys I went with and Beetlejuice. Can you tell them apart. Sometimes I couldn't.


This was a shot Doug took inside the "Revenge" ride. We ran through the tunnels. It was very cool and nice inside. I don't know what is up with the lightning on the picture, but it's cool anyway.

We are doing a lot of walking. Today I mostly took it easy at the hotel. I only went shopping for 4 hours. Which is good because I don't think we stopped walking all weekend!! It is crazy all the malls and walking around here!!!

More later. We miss you girls and hope you are being good for Grandma and Grandpa!!

Where I am at....

BALTIMORE!!!!
And I am with my sis-in-law to visit another sis-in-law. It has been a blast!!! I am putting up a few pix for my girls to see where I have been and doing. We got to go all the way to the top of the Washington monument. It was so high! Then we went to Ocean City and that was fun!!!



This is us at the beach just this morning. It was gorgeous and so perfect!!





This were the bikes we rented to ride along the boardwalk. Don't be fooled with both steering wheels. I was totally in control!! Mendy's was all show. But it was so much fun riding all over the place.

But I miss you girls!! Be good for daddy and I will see you soon!!

Still almost done.

The doll carrier is now done and the quilt to go with it is just waiting for the binding to be done. I had to stop because Erica decided to take a nap, which I am not going to argue with. But I didn't want to risk wakeing her up. But I am so excited because it turned out SOOOO cute!!! I am so glad I choose to use these fabrics. Yeah, me!








PS. I think the shoes turned out great!!! pix to come.

For Mom

Okay, so this post is for my mom. I just want you to know I am almost done. I hope to be done tomorrow if Erica will let me. But I thought you would like pics of what it should look like so you could show Sandy if she is still around. I am LOVING it!!!! (By the way, everyone else, it will be another doll carrier. Like what I made my girls for Christmas.)





I probably could have had it done today but I got distracted making these. I can't wait for the glue to dry. I will post pix tomorrow. I am very excited for these.

Back to School

It's that time of the year. Back to school! This year I have 4 full-time in elem. and one at home with me all day. What are we going to do all day???!!! So the older four were very excited and nervous. They were up and ready early. (I don't expect this to last long). Doug and I walked them all to their classrooms and helped get them settled. They all survived and like their teachers. Tonite is back to school night and we get to really meet the teachers. I think this year is going to be a lot of work.



We took the traditional first day pix under the tree. They are all getting so big (including the tree). Erica slept through all the excitement.


I am especially pleased with Tessa's backpack. I started it earlier this summer, but it just didn't get done so I spent the night before finishing it. I didn't use a pattern, just general sizing from other backpacks. We also cut the zippers and straps from another backpack that the bottom had torn out of. That saved a lot of work. But I really like the turtle we embroidered on it and the material we used for the pocket on the side. It did turn out slightly bigger than I planned, but better that than too small. Yeah Me!




So here's to a new year and hope it all goes well.

So summer is in full swing here. We are doing a lot of nothing and enjoying it. We also spend lots of time in the park for lunch. A staple outing here. I have also been able to do quite a bit of sewing. Which is good because we have 3 birthdays in July. It is busy with parties and such. Here is just a couple of pix of some outfits I have made for the girls. At the beginning of summer I got 2 patterns in everyones' sizes and said they could pick the material, I was just only making these outfits. And they have turned out so cute!! The first outfit really was a top for myself but it was just barely too small, so I just tightened up the elastic and it fit Sara perfectly. It is one of her favs. It does look just like the pattern I had for them anyway.



Ignore the funny look on her face, but I just love the material and colors on this outfit! It just screams summer!!


And this skirt is one I made for her Birthday. She is just so girlie!! And when I saw this on someone's blog I knew I had to make it for her. It is just strips of knit cut into slits and then sewn onto another piece of knit. She loves to swirl around in it.

I will post more on our summer soon. I just remembered I need to go pick up one of the kids.

Apron for Emer

A little while back I decided to participate in an apron swap here. I am very excited to do it. But I did wait until the last minute (as usual). I did want to let Emer (my swap partner) know that I did finish her's and it is on its way to her. I can't wait. I will also post all about my thought process (scary, huh). I am way excited on how it turned out!!!!


I hope you like it, Emer. I had one idea in mind, right up until I made it. Then after seeing what she made me and a few other things she made on her blog a whole new idea came to mind. And then it just snowballed! In fact I made myself one of the same pattern but different material. I will have to post pix of it when I take them. It is yellow with orange on top and I LOVE IT!!! The colors are so me. I have been wanting to use this yellow material for a while but I look horrible in yellow, but now I can wear it.

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How it all looks...

I thought I would just let everyone see how it all looks... My skirt turned out fabulous!!!!!! I even have a few orders from ladies at church. I feel very girly in it, all those ruffles, how can you not?!! I have an idea for another style very close to this one, and, of course, the girls all want one like it too. I don't blame them.


The bow ties turned out perfect. My sister's boys all looked adorable with them on. I was pleased!! And they fit great! Not bad, huh. They were so easy to make. In fact it took me longer to figure out how to tie them then to make them.

That is all for now, but soon I will post about our Spring break outings.

Just Finish it!!

I read on another sewing blog that they spent a week just finishing unfinished projects. And I thought "what a great idea". So that was my plan this week, because I really don't have much going on and no real dead lines coming up. Easy-peasy, right, WRONG. It is only Wednesday, and I haven't even really started finishing anything yet. Sad, huh, I know. So here is the problem. First off every time I try to get serious about finishing something, something else catches my eye and I HAVE to make it first. First thing Monday as I was sorting out several w.i.p.s to finish I suddenly had an urge to make this skirt. So I did, almost. I have the skirt all made and the ruffles cut and the first layer ruffled and pinned, and now it is sitting on my cutting table waiting for its turn to come back around. I am using red, orange, and gold for the three colors. It is going to be so cute when it gets done...... Then on Tues. I was reminded that my sister is getting married in two weeks and I said I would make bow ties (I am using this pattern) for the 4 boys. (hers and her soon-to-be) So then I had to go out and buy black fabric to make them and then wash the material. So that got done and they are now partly cut out and sitting on the ironing board. But then that afternoon I was able to focus and I worked on a skirt I am making for myself. It is almost done (I know, story of my life) and just needs a waist band. But it so gorgeous!!!!!!!!!! I stopped there last night.




Today was a little better, my skirt keeps calling my name, but I know there is a wedding coming up so I think I probably should get those ties done, or instead I will work on another w.i.p. This time I am doing the binding on a baby quilt the Activity Day girls in my church made for the other leader who just had a baby. (Did I mention I now get to work with the 10 and 11 year old girls in my ward, and they sewed this blanket together with only a little help from me.) I learned working with a bunch of 10 and 11 yr. olds can be very crazy. There were 9 of them and they were very gung-ho and did not want to wait for any kind of instruction. I recommend if you are brave enough to do this kind of think to NOT do it by yourself!! But they got it sewn together and the tied the quilt and I finished to binding today. Very cute. But as I was sewing it I ran out of thread about 18" from the end. URG!!!!!!!!!! So I called a friend and got some from her so I didn't have to go out to Joann's again. But it is done!!!




So far the week is half over and I have complete 1 old project, started 2 new ones, and worked on 1 old project. I'm not sure if I am encouraged or not. I guess I can only keep plugging along.

After Christmas Shots

I hope you all had a great holiday break. We sure did! Lots of late nights and sleeping in. It sure makes going back to school hard! I could probably end the school year right now and be okay. Or maybe not. It depends on the day. Anywho....... I thought I would put up a pix of the girls in their Christmas dresses since I didn't do cards this year. I just love Amber's expression. This was the best one. I also put in a separate shot of Clara so you could really see her dress. Notice Erica peeking around her in the back. She is such a cheesier!!!

Peek-a-boo!!

This is a pix of all our Christmas stockings. I have always wanted matching ones and this year I got it done. Or I should say my two oldest and two of their friends got them done. They came over and I set up 4 of my machines and put them to work. The girls had so much fun and I think the stockings turned out super cute!!! Now I just need to finish the names on the cuff and put it on and they will be perfect. But not a bad start for just two days before Christmas, huh.

Don't you just love Fabric Fridays. Check out the other posts at Rosebud Quilting and have a great weekend.